Honolulu, Hawaii (CNN) – President and Mrs. Obama left their vacation rental home in Hawaii for over an hour to make a Christmas Day visit to Marines stationed at the U.S. Marine base on Oahu.
“Hi guys, Merry Christmas,” the president said as he entered the mess hall where Marines and their families were enjoying their Christmas dinner. Casually dressed, the Obamas went from table to table to say hello, shake hands, and ask where everyone was from. At one point the president said “I’m proud of you guys,” and could be heard thanking the Marines for their service and saying he understood how tough it was to be away from their loved ones on the holiday.
As he made his way to one table, a Marine handed the President an iPhone and asked the president to say hello to the person on the other end of the phone. The president obliged, and spoke for a few seconds. At another table, he asked a Marine if he had already spoken to his parents, and then he and Mrs. Obama asked the Marine to tell his parents that the Obamas said hello.
President Obama made a trip to the same base earlier in the day to take in a workout at the base gym. He spent the remainder of the day with his family inside his vacation rental in the Kailua section of Oahu.
The president does not have any public events scheduled during his vacation.
–CNN White House Producer Jamie Crawford
From CNN Politics
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Thousands of taxpayer dollars being wasted on this vacation and the best this so-called president can do is visit the military stationed in Hawaii and tell them he knows how hard it is for them to be away from home. This so-called president is the biggest joke on the face of the earth. Hey so-called president how about visiting the troops in Afghanistan or Iraq?
This guy is a people president. He works so hard than any president I have witnessed in my life time.
obama should have visited combat troops in afghanistan for christmas and combat troops in iraq for new years instead of being in HI, all safe and sound. some commander-in-chief. visiting rear echelon troops is hardly worthy of a commander-in-chief. obama is a joke. all of you keep volunteering to be cannon fodder for this, obama's, afghanistan war as he just committed 30k more troops to afghanistan. think twice before volunteering, enlisting, then think again. congress and the obama are not serious about this war, neither are the american people, else afghanistan would be laid to waste.
Greatest President ever! Enjoy the dynasty you self-loathing, racist, hateful, Right-winger sub-humans.
I am so sick of the blatent disregard the Barak Obama shows to the office he is holding...he needs to dress properly not like a beach bum...
well done Mr. President. well done
President Obama is doing a great job. Thank you President Obama
Barack Obama and the liberal left respect and love our soldiers, sailors, and airmen. Right!
one thing that could ease on the hardships that every soldier feel right now..is to send them back home.. its already been years searching for bin ladin.. its a useless war..
I am holding my breath for the Republican clown who will politicize this visit. I am sure I won't have to hold my breath long.
Republicans are clowns, all of them. No exception.
i am so proud of our military guys for their service and commitment thank you. and our president and first lady i am proud to be an american...
The lunatic fringe is going to have a hard time making this into something BAD but I'm afraid they will manage to do so. Never underestimate the stupidity of fanatics.
Merry Christmas to Obama the traitor and lier. I'm out of work a year like many others and you lie about not resting till all that want to work are working. You are a bum who is living on the welfare of the American people by taking a vacation on the tax payer dollars. You are not worth it and pray that my Christmas present is that you are a ONE TERM jerk.
This is what a real President does. President Obama and his family are hard working and full of class and it is very easy to tell that they really and truly care about others.The President and his family are a class act across the world.
President Obama is still the best!
Thank you, Mr President.
And this makes up for him not making a decision on Afghanistan while our troops were in harms way how?
Oh yeah it doesn't.
I think this President and First Lady are just terrific!!!
Nice backround Mr. President!!!
Nice gesture
I put my 20 yrs in the military, and it was hard enough stomaching having to honor Carter..and Clinton.....now, this questionable "president?" I have to admire the military members who actually bite their lip and pretend to respect this fraud. The saving grace is Obama's own arrogance will lead to his booting out of office. Drive on US service personnel; remember you're respecting the country and families you're protecting, just smile and wave when you have to tolerate being around the most anti-American president ever.
If bush had done this it would have been a full blown photo op - make sure every network is there-kind of a thing. And he would have dressed up in his haloween soldier boy costume. This president is such a good president, so honest and filled with integrity that it drives the opposition out of their tiny minds.